The society we live in offers us many things - ideas - and philosophies. And as a parent - I’m looking out at this society and wondering how to prepare my two boys - and one baby on the way - to live wisely - out there. Because we know that the society we live in is very deceptive. On one hand it promises so much - and on the other hand those promises can be very empty. Like cotton candy - sweet - colorful - big - but bite into cotton candy and there’s nothing of substance.

As parents looking at society - the immorality - the crime - the hatred - the anger - we see the deception. And, there’s a question every parent faces: “How do I help my children to live wisely in this society?” - to protect them - to guide them - to prepare them. And, how do I help them to live in growing and obedient relationship with God?

The Bible passage we’re looking at this morning comes from the letter of 2 John. I invite you to turn there and especially to the 3rd verse.

John is writing to a mother. A Godly woman who was a leader in her church. A mother who was greatly concerned about her children - growing up in an evil society. She had turned to the Apostle John for help. She asked him, “What can I do?” The letter of 2 John is the Apostle John’s answer to her.

John writes - 2 John 3 - which is the key verse of whole book: “Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.”

John’s answer: There are three qualities which are essential for living in this society - this world. Qualities we need to experience personally and in our families.

First: Grace - the undeserved favor of God. Which we need for our salvation. God frees us - sinful man - from our guilt and brings us into a relationship with Him. God’s Grace - which teaches us love - forgiveness and patience with others. Second: Mercy - the compassion of God’s heart which heals our suffering from sin - the wounds of our heart. God’s mercy - which teaches us to love and care for others even when they don’t deserve it.

Third: Peace - which ends the restlessness of our hearts - the calming of our hearts because we know the presence of God. God’s peace - which teaches us to rely on God rather than ourselves.

John says that these three essential qualities “will be with us” - if we have “truth and love.” If we have “truth” and “love” we will experience the essentials of God’s grace, mercy, and peace in our homes.

John says, if we want to help our families - if this is what we want for them...

1. WALK IN TRUTH - verse 9

Dr. Clarence Bass, a professor emeritus at Bethel Theological Seminary - early in his ministry preached in a church in Los Angeles. He thought he had done quite well as he stood at the door greeting people as they left the sanctuary. The remarks about his preaching were complimentary. That is, until a little old man commented, “You preached too long.” Dr. Bass wasn’t fazed by the remark, especially in light of the many positive comments.

But, a little later came another negative comment: “You didn’t preach loud enough,” - and it was from the same little old man. Dr. Bass thought it strange that the man had come through the line twice, but when the same man had come through the line a third time and exclaimed, “You used too many big words” - this called for some explanation.

Dr. Bass found a deacon who was standing nearby and asked him, “Do you see that little old man over there? Who is he?”

The deacon said, “Don’t pay any attention to him. All he does is go around and repeat everything he hears.”

Truth - John says, verse 9 “Any one who goes too far - any one who goes outside the boundaries of the Christian faith - and does not abide - or remain - in the teaching - truth - of Christ does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching -truth, he has both the Father and the Son.”

If we want to experience God’s grace, mercy, and peace we are to remain faithful to the truth of Jesus Christ.

According to a poll conducted by sociologist Robert Bellah, 81% of the American people say that an individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue.

In a survey taken in early 1991 - 75% of the Christians said that we cannot be sure of absolute truth.

Our society is dominated by a philosophy - a way of thinking - which has been labeled “postmodernism”. Postmodernism rejects the idea of objective - or absolute truth/reality. A post modernist would say that something is real only if I experience it as being real.

Today - on your way home - consider that the sun exists. However, to the postmodernist the sun only exists if they experience its existence. If that sounds strange - it is. But that’s where our society is today.

In our society we are told that we must be tolerant - inclusive - open to the experiences and beliefs of others. “Truth is relative to how I experience life.” “Homosexuality is an experience which we must tolerate - be open to.” “One should not be so dogmatic as to define marriage as only being a monogamous relationship between one male and one female.” - “The reality of someone’s personal faith journey should never be questioned.” “God is who I experience Him - or her - or it - to be.”

Morals? Behavior? Salvation? It’s all relative. Nothing is certain. Might be. Might not be. Who knows for sure?

But the Bible is truth - God’s absolute truth. The Bible teaches us God’s absolute standard of how we are to live - God’s morals - God’s righteousness - God’s holiness - and how we fall short of God’s absolute standard. And the Bible teaches us about Jesus Christ. And this is what the Apostle John writes about. Not the shifting immoral philosophies of our society. But, the truth of who Jesus Christ is.

The truth that Jesus - fully God and fully man - lived a perfect and sinless life, was crucified to death, remained dead for three days, and was resurrected into His glorified body.

The truth is that our salvation is based upon the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross - as our sin offering - that He is the only means of our salvation. If we will trust Jesus as our Savior by giving our lives to God through Him - we will be saved.

In this empty - valueless - and dehumanizing society - the truth - the teaching of who Jesus is gives meaning - value - and purpose to our lives. This is the absolute truth that John is writing about. Live in this truth and we will experience God’s grace, mercy, and peace.

Secondly we are to:

2. WALK IN LOVE - verse 6

On May 2, 1962, a dramatic advertisement appeared in the San Francisco Examiner: “I don’t want my husband to die in the gas chamber for a crime he did not commit. I will therefore offer my services for 10 years as a cook, maid, or housekeeper to any leading attorney who will defend him and bring about his vindication.”

One attorney, Vincent Hallinan, read or heard about the ad and contacted Gladys Kidd, who had placed it. Her husband Robert Lee Kidd, was about to be tried for the slaying of an elderly antique dealer. Kidd’s fingerprints had been found on a bloodstained ornate sword in the victim’s shop.

During the trial, Hallinan proved that the antique dealer had not been killed by the sword, and that Kidd’s fingerprints and blood got there because Kidd had once toyed with it while playfully dueling with a friend when they were both out shopping.

The jury, after 11 hours, found Kidd to be not guilty. Attorney Hallinan refused Gladys Kidd’s offer of 10 years servitude.

When John writes of love - he is writing about God’s love - selfless love - not love that is focused on what we get - but love focused on what we can give.

In His book, Love is a Costly Thing, Dick Hillis gives an example of selfless love. He writes, “She was lying on the ground. In her arms she held a tiny baby girl. As I put a cooked sweet potato into her outstretched hand, I wondered if she would live until morning. Her strength was almost gone, but her tired eyes acknowledged my gift. The sweet potato could help so little - but it was all I had.

Taking a bite she chewed it carefully. Then placing her mouth over her baby’s mouth, she forced the soft warm food into the tiny throat. Although the mother was starving, she used the entire potato to keep her baby alive.

Exhausted from her effort, she dropped her head on the ground and closed her eyes. In a few minutes the baby was asleep. I later learned that during the night the mother’s heart stopped, but her little girl lived.”

Love is a costly thing. God in His love for us - and for a lost world - did not spare His own Son - to tell the world of His love. Living with such love is costly - it costs parents and sons and daughters. It requires our entire lives sacrificed to God and others.

But this is what John has in mind when he writes in verse 6, “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning that you should walk in it.”

Jesus said the greatest commandment was to “....love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. (And to) ....love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37,39)

If we live by this command - of love - in our homes - we will experience the grace, mercy, and peace of God.

Walk in the truth of Jesus Christ and His Gospel - walk in God’s love - John writes in verse 10: “If any one - or anything - comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting.” - don’t encourage them - don’t even invite them in.

Its very easy for parents - for all of us - to get focused on the wonderful things of our society and culture. We have homes - and cars - and toys - and things that our parents and grandparents couldn’t even dream about. And we work very hard to provide all these things. But, what is most important if want to give our children a good foundation in life? If we want God’s grace and mercy and peace in our homes - walk in truth - walk in love.